"STRONG IN GRACE AND IT’S NECESSITY" (2 Tim 2:1)

April 19^th, 2009

Sunday School Lesson

Int. Everything shows how necessary it is to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

I. THE DANGERS WE FACE IN LIFE REQUIRE THAT WE BE STRONG IN THE GRACE OF GOD.

A. OUR PASSIONS ARE NOT WHOLLY MORTIFIED.

1. We still have sin dwelling in us.

A. (Rom 7:17) "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

B. (Rom 7:20) "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

C. (1 John 5:19) "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness."

D. (1 Pet 5:8) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

II. CONSIDER THAT OUR DUTIES IN LIFE REQUIRE THAT WE BE STRONG IN THE GRACE OF GOD.

A. OUR FAMILY REQUIRES THAT WE BE STRONG.

1. (Josh 24:15) "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

B. OUR CALLING REQUIRES THAT WE BE STRONG IN THE LORD.

1. (John 4:23-24) "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. {24} God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

C. OUR DAILY WALK REQUIRES THAT WE BE STRONG IN OUR WALK FOR THE LORD.

1. (2 Cor 5:7) "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"

2. (Phil 3:20) "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:"

III. OUR USEFULNESS REQUIRES THAT WE BE STRONG IN GRACE OF GOD.

A. WE ARE NOT TO LIVE FOR OURSELVES, BUT FOR HIM WHO DIED FOR US.

1. (Phil 2:4) "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

2. (Col 4:5) "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time."

3. (Gal 6:10) "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

IV. OUR TRIALS IN LIFE REQUIRE THAT WE BE STRONG IN THE GRACE OF GOD.

A. ONE GOOD REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE OUR STRENGTH IS SMALL.

1. (Prov 24:10) "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small."

B. CONSIDER SOME EXAMPLES OF MEN WHO WERE STRONG IN GRACE.

1. "Men for the Day" By C. H . Spurgeon

"Imagine that in those ages past Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and their compeers had said, `The world is out of order; but if we try to set it right we shall only make a great row and get ourselves into disgrace. Let us go to our chambers, put on our nightcaps and sleep over the bad times, and perhaps when we wake up things will have grown better'. Such conduct on their part would have entailed upon us a heritage of error. Age after age would have gone down into the infernal deeps, and the pestiferous bogs of error would have swallowed all. These men loved the faith and the name of Jesus too well to see then trampled on. Note what we owe them, and let us pay to our sons the debt we owe our fathers. It is today as it was in the Reformers' days. Decision is needed. Here is the day for the man, where is the man for the day?"

2. (Deu 31:6) "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

a. Several times, Moses charged Joshua to "Be strong and of good courage"

3. (Isa 35:4) "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you."

4. (Eph 6:10) "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."

V. OUR CONSOLATIONS IN LIFE REQUIRE THAT WE BE STRONG IN THE GRACE OF GOD.

A. ONE’S CONSOLATIONS ENLARGE THE HEART AND PRODUCE PEACE

1. (Phil 4:7) "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

2. (1 Pet 1:8) "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:"

B. BEING STRONG IN GRACE HELPS RAISE US ABOVE FEARS AND DEPRESSIONS IN LIFE.

1. (Isa 7:9) "..... If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established."

VII. DEATH REQUIRES THAT WE BE STRONG IN THE GRACE OF GOD.

A. DEATH IS REFERRED TO AS OUR LAST GREAT ENEMY.

1. (1 Cor 15:26) "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

B. FOR THE BELIEVERS, THE STING OF DEATH HAS BEEN REMOVED.

1. (1 Cor 15:56-57) "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. {57} But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

2. (John 15:5) "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

3. (Phil 4:13) "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

VIII. CONTEMPLATING THE LIFE TO COME SHOULD CAUSE US TO BE STRONG IN THE GRACE OF GOD.

A. SUCH THOUGHTS SHOULD HELP WEAN US FROM THIS WORLD.

1. (1 John 2:15) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

2. (Phil 3:13) "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,"

3. (Heb 13:5) "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

4. (John 16:24) "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."

a. We are so busy trying to get it all in this life and by ourselves, that we have forgotten to ask God for our daily needs.

5. William Jay: Grace is connected with the whole of our recovery as sinners. It is all in all in every part of our salvation. Whether he is chosen, or redeemed, or justified, or converted, or sanctified, or preserved, or comforted, the believer will acknowledge, by the grace of God I am what I am—not I, but the grace of God which is with me. [1 Cor 15:10]

6. Octavius Winslow's, "By the grace of God I am what I am." Christian, the only thing that makes you to differ from the vilest being that pollutes the earth, or from the darkest fiend that gnaws his chains in hell, is the free grace of God! "

7. John Newton said: I am not what I ought to be; I am not what I wish to be; I am not what I hope to be. Yet though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I am not what I once was, and 'by the grace of God I am what I am."

CONCLUSION: Many things in life will fail us. Friendships will blossom and then die. Health can be an elusive thing. Riches and wealth will often remain just beyond the reach of your finger tips. Those we love will pass from the scene leaving a void in our hearts hard to be filled. However, there is one thing that every child of God possesses that can never fail, never end, never run out, never run dry and that will never be found to be insufficient, and that is the grace of God! Yes, the road may be long and dreary, the days may be filled with difficulties and struggles, but rest assured that there will be grace sufficient for every need and ever trial. That is the promise of God and that is the hope of the saints!"